Report on New Orleans’ Resilience: Integrating Infrastructure and Workforce Development for Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

Two decades after the catastrophic failure of the federal levees during Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans continues to address significant environmental and economic challenges. This report examines the city’s ongoing efforts to build resilience by integrating water infrastructure investment with workforce development. These initiatives are analyzed through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting the interconnectedness of infrastructure, labor, and sustainable urban recovery. The city’s progress offers a precedent for other regions facing similar climate and economic pressures.

Core Challenges to Sustainable Urban Development in New Orleans

The city’s ability to achieve key SDGs is impeded by two primary, interconnected challenges stemming from the 2005 disaster.

Deficiencies in Water Infrastructure and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation)

New Orleans’ aging and vulnerable water infrastructure represents a critical barrier to ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, a core tenet of SDG 6. The system’s frailty, which demands proactive and substantial investment, directly threatens the city’s capacity to provide reliable services and manage water resources effectively, particularly in the face of climate change.

Workforce Gaps as a Barrier to SDG 8 (Decent Work) and SDG 9 (Infrastructure)

A significant workforce shortage limits the city’s ability to implement necessary infrastructure improvements. This challenge directly impacts two goals:

• SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure): The lack of skilled labor hinders the construction, maintenance, and upgrading of resilient infrastructure.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): The skills gap prevents the full realization of inclusive and sustainable economic growth through the creation of quality jobs in the infrastructure sector.

Strategic Interventions and Progress Towards the SDGs

In response to these challenges, public and private leaders have initiated several efforts that align with a multi-faceted approach to sustainable development.

Proactive Planning for Resilient Infrastructure (SDG 9 & SDG 11)

Strategic planning has been central to building a more resilient and sustainable city, directly contributing to SDG 9 and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Key plans include:

• The Sewerage and Water Board’s Strategic Plan: A foundational document aimed at modernizing water systems to enhance reliability and resilience.
• The Urban Water Plan: A comprehensive regional strategy for managing water in a way that supports sustainable urban environments and mitigates climate risks.

Collaborative Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17)

The formation of multi-stakeholder partnerships is a direct embodiment of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). These collaborations bring together government agencies, utilities, employers, labor groups, and community organizations to address complex issues collectively. Focus areas for these partnerships include:

• Developing sector-specific strategies to align training with industry needs.
• Implementing youth workforce development programs to build a future talent pipeline, supporting SDG 8.

Project Implementation for Climate Action and Sustainable Communities (SDG 13 & SDG 11)

A sustained pipeline of projects demonstrates a commitment to tangible action. These projects are critical for achieving climate resilience and creating sustainable neighborhoods, aligning with SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 11. Notable project types include:

• Green Infrastructure Projects: Utilizing nature-based solutions to manage stormwater, reduce flood risk, and enhance urban biodiversity.
• Neighborhood-Scale Improvements: Focusing on localized solutions that improve quality of life and build community-level resilience.

Recommendations for Accelerating Progress on Sustainable Development

While significant progress has been made, further action is required to solidify New Orleans’ path toward a sustainable and resilient future. The following steps are recommended to drive innovation and ensure long-term success:

1. Develop a Dedicated Water Workforce Plan: A targeted plan is needed to systematically address the skills gap, thereby advancing SDG 8 and securing the human capital required to achieve the targets of SDG 6 and SDG 9.
2. Strengthen and Sustain Collaborative Frameworks: Reinforce the multi-stakeholder partnerships central to SDG 17 to ensure durable cooperation, continued implementation, and adaptive management of infrastructure and workforce initiatives.
3. Secure Durable Funding Mechanisms: Establish consistent and long-term funding to support the continuous implementation of infrastructure projects that are vital for achieving SDG 6, SDG 9, SDG 11, and SDG 13.

Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – The article’s central theme is the challenge of New Orleans’ “aging and vulnerable water infrastructure,” directly referencing the need for investment and strategic planning like the “Sewerage and Water Board’s Strategic Plan.”
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – The text highlights a “sizable workforce challenge” and the need for “workforce development,” including “youth workforce development,” to carry out infrastructure improvements.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – The article focuses on building “resilient” infrastructure, mentioning a “sustained pipeline of projects, particularly those focused on green infrastructure and neighborhood-scale improvements” to recover from disaster and support the community.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – The core issue is making New Orleans more resilient (“the ability to survive and thrive amid different climate impacts”) in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a major urban disaster. The development of an “Urban Water Plan” is a key strategy for this.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – The article emphasizes the importance of “collaborative partnerships” among “government agencies, utilities, employers, workforce training providers, labor groups, and community-based organizations” to tackle the intertwined infrastructure and workforce challenges.

What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.a: “By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes…” This is relevant through the article’s call for “proactive investment” and the formation of plans like the “Sewerage and Water Board’s Strategic Plan” which represent capacity-building efforts to manage water infrastructure.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.6: “By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training.” The article directly identifies efforts in “youth workforce development” as a key component of addressing the city’s challenges.

3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.1: “Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure…to support economic development and human well-being…” The entire article is framed around this target, discussing the need to fix “aging and vulnerable water infrastructure” and build “greater resilience” through projects like “green infrastructure.”

4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.5: “By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses…caused by disasters, including water-related disasters…” The context of recovering from Hurricane Katrina and the goal to “survive and thrive amid different climate impacts” directly aligns with this target of reducing disaster risk and impact.
   • Target 11.b: “…substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards…mitigation and adaptation to climate change, disaster risk reduction…” The article explicitly mentions the creation of such plans, including the “Urban Water Plan,” as a proactive step.

5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…” The article highlights the “formation of several collaborative partnerships” involving a wide range of public and private leaders as essential for bolstering New Orleans’ resilience.

Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Implied Indicator: The existence and implementation of strategic plans. The article points to the “Sewerage and Water Board’s Strategic Plan” and the “Urban Water Plan” as tangible outputs that can be monitored for progress in improving water management.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Implied Indicator: The establishment of workforce development programs. The mention of “youth workforce development” partnerships and the call for a “dedicated water workforce plan” serve as indicators of action being taken to address unemployment and skills gaps.

3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

   • Mentioned Indicator: The implementation of specific infrastructure projects. The article explicitly mentions a “sustained pipeline of projects, particularly those focused on green infrastructure and neighborhood-scale improvements” as a measure of progress.

4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Mentioned Indicator: The adoption of integrated urban plans. The article cites the “Urban Water Plan” as a key effort, the existence and implementation of which serves as a direct indicator for building urban resilience and disaster risk reduction.

5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Mentioned Indicator: The number and type of multi-stakeholder partnerships formed. The article explicitly states the “formation of several collaborative partnerships” involving “government agencies, utilities, employers, workforce training providers, labor groups, and community-based organizations” as a key achievement.

SDGs, Targets and Indicators Table

Source: brookings.edu